Monday's news lent hope that House leaders planned to introduce their own version of the Senate's Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 this week and move it quickly to the floor sometime during the first two weeks in May. By Friday, that timetable was kicked aside: Suggesting that they are still wrestling with contentious issues in major lobbying and ethics reform legislation, House Democratic leaders have put off plans to unveil a new bill and bring it to the House floor the week of May 7.

Responding to the subprime lending market meltdown, Charles Schumer (D-NY) is proposing legislation that would give $300 million to community groups that can help troubled borrowers restructure their mortgage debt. And not only would Shcumer's bill change some mortgage lending regulations, it asks for mortgage lenders to kick in $600 million of their funds. Of course mortgage lenders, as spoken for by Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman John M. Robbins, are having none of this.

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The Hill reports that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) will most likely rake in more money from violators than in years past; "the FEC in 2007 will exceed last year's total of $6.2 million, which in turn was more than double any previous year's collection." All have noticed more enforcement at the FEC with bringing in larger settlements. This vigorous trend started with enforcing fines on 527s that played a major role in the 2004 election. Some say that these large fines have caused some 527s to change their tax status to a 501(c)(4), avoiding the FEC and disclosing of donors.